The strips should be applied to the groove to test the fit, and if found to be tight, they must be tapered slightly by filing or scraping the sides. If the fit is good, hot glue may be run into the grooves with a sharp stick, and the strips driven into place. They will project above the surface slightly, but no attempt should be made to plane them off flush until the glue has become thoroughly hardened; then use a sharp plane, and finish with a scraper and No. 00 sandpaper.
The miters are cut in a miter box, or planed to the exact 45° angle on a miter shoot board. Before gluing the corners, the recesses are cut for the cross rail, but it must not be put in place until the corners of the frame have been fastened and the glue given time to dry.
An Inlay of Holly Makes an Exceedingly Pretty Frame of Colonial Design for a Mirror
The frame may be given either a dull or bright finish. The dull finish gives a rich appearance and is very easy to apply. Give the completed frame one coat of white shellac, and when it is dry, rub the surface with very fine sandpaper until it has a smooth finish. Finish with any of the prepared waxes, being careful to follow the directions furnished.
Before putting the board back of the mirror, be sure to place two or three sheets of clean paper on the silvered surface. The picture board is fastened with glazier’s points, or with small bung-head wire nails. The back is finished by gluing a sheet of heavy wrapping paper to the edges of the frame. If the wrapping paper is moistened with a damp cloth before it is applied, it will dry out smooth and tightly drawn over the back.
¶An emergency penholder may be made by fixing the pen on the end of a pencil with a clip, or small rubber band.
A Turntable Stand for Potted Flowers
Potted flowers, if kept in the house, tend to grow toward the light. From time to time the pot should be turned. To do this more readily, the turntable stand shown in the sketch was designed. It is made up of a low, four-legged taboret upon which a 12-in. disk of 1-in. wood is fixed with a screw. A thin wooden washer, sandpapered and shellacked, insures easy turning. Rectangular boxes or circular jars look equally well upon the stand, the beauty of which depends much upon its workmanship and finish.—Edward R. Smith, Walla Walla, Wash.